Vegetable glycerin is used in food, beauty products, and pharmaceuticals. It’s valued for its moisturizing properties, ability to relieve constipation, and potential benefits for hydration and athletic performance.
Also called glycerol or glycerine, this clear liquid comes from plant sources like soybeans, coconuts, or palm oils.
It’s naturally odorless with a mild sweetness and a thick, syrup-like consistency.
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Available on the App StoreWhile vegetable glycerin is most popular in skincare, its uses extend far beyond cosmetics. The potential health benefits include improved skin health, better hydration, and support for digestive function.
Here’s what you need to know about vegetable glycerin’s uses, benefits, and potential drawbacks.
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What is vegetable glycerin?
Glycerin is a sugar alcohol that can come from animal products, plants, or petroleum.
Vegetable glycerin is the plant-based version, made from vegetable oils. It was reportedly discovered over two centuries ago when olive oil was heated with lead monoxide.
It didn’t become commercially important until the late 1800s, when it was first used in dynamite production.
Today, vegetable glycerin is made by heating triglyceride-rich fats — like palm, soy, and coconut oils — under pressure or with a strong alkali such as lye.
This process separates the glycerin from fatty acids. The glycerin then mixes with water, creating an odorless, sweet-tasting, syrup-like liquid.
Summary: Vegetable glycerin is a slightly sweet, syrupy liquid made by heating vegetable fats under pressure or with a strong alkali.
Common uses of vegetable glycerin
Vegetable glycerin shows up in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.
In food products, it helps oil- and water-based ingredients mix together. It also adds sweetness and moisture to the final product.
It prevents ice crystals from forming in frozen foods like low-fat frozen yogurt, ice cream, and other desserts.
In pharmaceuticals, glycerin appears in heart medications, suppositories, cough remedies, and anesthetics.
You’ll also find vegetable glycerin in toothpaste, where it prevents the paste from drying out or hardening in the tube.
It’s commonly added to soaps, candles, lotions, deodorants, and makeup products.
Summary: Vegetable glycerin has several uses. The most common are in cosmetics, pharmaceutical drugs, and food products.
Potential benefits of vegetable glycerin
Vegetable glycerin is promoted as having several health benefits.
However, research is limited. Keep in mind that more studies are needed on many of its claimed benefits.
Here are the benefits with the most scientific support.
Vegetable glycerin can moisturize your skin
Vegetable glycerin is a popular skincare ingredient because of its moisturizing power.
Research shows that applying glycerin to your skin can gradually improve smoothness and suppleness. Creams containing glycerin may increase skin hydration in as few as 10 days.1
One study found that a cream with glycerin was more effective at hydrating skin and preventing moisture loss than creams made with silicone oil or hyaluronic acid.2
Another study showed that adding glycerin to a warm water bath improved skin moisture levels and protected against irritation better than a warm bath alone.3
Vegetable glycerin may promote skin health
Beyond moisturizing, vegetable glycerin may help soothe irritation, protect against infection, and support wound healing.
Studies show that glycerin-containing products can protect skin from irritants and microbes while soothing inflamed or damaged skin.4
Suggested read: 12 Health Benefits and Uses of Argan Oil
Vegetable glycerin may also act as a barrier, protecting skin from environmental factors like wind and cold.
Research on people with eczema found that vegetable glycerin reduced smarting sensations more effectively than a placebo. However, it didn’t significantly affect stinging, itching, dryness, or general irritation.5
Vegetable glycerin may reduce constipation
Vegetable glycerin can provide relief from constipation.
It works by drawing water into the gut through an osmotic effect. This softens stool and helps digested food move through the intestines more smoothly.6
This is why glycerin is commonly used in suppository form.
Glycerin suppositories work by lubricating the stool and stimulating rectal muscles, typically producing a bowel movement within 15 minutes to an hour.
Vegetable glycerin may boost hydration and athletic performance
Glycerin may help with hydration, which can support athletic performance.
Losing more than 2% of body weight through sweat can significantly impair performance.
The standard strategy is to drink enough fluids before and during exercise. But drinking during certain activities isn’t always practical, making pre-exercise hydration essential.
The problem with drinking large amounts quickly is that much of the fluid is lost through urine within the following hour.
A meta-analysis found that adding glycerol (about 1.1 g per kg of body weight) to water before exercise increased fluid retention by approximately 50% compared to water alone.7
Glycerol-induced hyperhydration was also associated with a modest improvement in endurance performance (about 2.6%), though researchers noted more studies are needed.7
In another study, a glycerol drink was more effective than water or a sports drink at maintaining hydration in athletes who lost significant fluid through sweating.8
Suggested read: Is Coconut Oil Good for Your Skin? Benefits & Uses
Summary: Vegetable glycerin may moisturize skin, reduce irritation, support wound healing, relieve constipation, and boost hydration and physical performance. That said, more research is needed on many of these benefits.
Potential side effects of vegetable glycerin
Vegetable glycerin is generally considered safe.
If you apply it directly to skin, test a small area first to check for allergic reactions.
When consumed, vegetable glycerin may cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or excessive thirst in some people.
Since glycerin is a sugar alcohol that your body can’t fully absorb, consuming too much may lead to gas and diarrhea.
Summary: Vegetable glycerin is generally safe. However, some people may experience allergic reactions, headaches, nausea, thirst, or stomach upset.
Summary
Vegetable glycerin is a clear, odorless, sweet-tasting liquid made from plant fats.
It’s found in foods, beauty products, and medications. Potential benefits include moisturized skin, constipation relief, improved hydration, and support for physical endurance.
If you’re considering adding vegetable glycerin to your routine, start with a small amount to see how your body responds.
Fluhr JW, Darlenski R, Surber C. Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions. Br J Dermatol. 2008;159(1):23-34. PubMed ↩︎
Lodén M. The influence of a cream containing 20% glycerin and its vehicle on skin barrier properties. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2008;30(3):205-211. PubMed ↩︎
Gloor M, et al. Placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, prospective study of a glycerol-based emollient on eczematous skin in atopic dermatitis. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2004;17(6):283-290. PubMed ↩︎
Lodén M, Wessman W. The influence of a cream containing 20% glycerin and its vehicle on skin barrier properties. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2008;30(3):205-211. PubMed ↩︎
Lodén M, et al. A double-blind study comparing the effect of glycerin and urea on dry, eczematous skin in atopic patients. Acta Derm Venereol. 2002;82(1):45-47. PubMed ↩︎
Izetta ML, et al. Experimental Paradigm for the Assessment of the Non-pharmacological Mechanism of Action in Medical Device Classification: The Example of Glycerine as Laxative. Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:1315. PubMed ↩︎
Goulet ED, et al. A meta-analysis of the effects of glycerol-induced hyperhydration on fluid retention and endurance performance. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2007;17(4):391-410. PubMed ↩︎ ↩︎
Robergs RA, Griffin SE. Glycerol: biochemistry, pharmacokinetics and clinical and practical applications. Sports Med. 1998;26(3):145-167. PubMed ↩︎
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